MANUFACTURING

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(20 - 39)

Employment change from last quarter	- 1.3
Employment change from year ago	- 1.9
Wage change from year ago	+ 2.6

QUARTERLY

Manufacturing employment took a drastic dive this quarter losing 2700 employees dropping 1.3%. Activity within the industry was mixed with 11 sectors losing employment and 8 gaining. The largest loss occurred in Non-Electrical Machinery (35), which dropped by 1824. Reporting changes by a large employer moved about 1600 from one facility to a different unit classified in the manufacturing of Instruments (38). The change was not necessarily a change in manufacturing but a change in how employees were reported. Food Products (20) decreased by 530 employees. Losses resulted from a seasonal decline in the sugar and candy making sector and the closure of a large meat processing facility. Electrical Machinery (36) lost 490 employees. About 240 employees were moved out of the industry due to SIC changes and the remainder of the losses were attributed to layoffs. Instruments incurred the largest increase up 1097 employees. Most of the gain resulted from a reporting change by a large employer formerly in Non-Electrical Machinery. Chemicals (28) rose by 511 employees. SIC changes from Retail covering about 400 accounted for the bulk of this increase.
ANNUAL

Manufacturing sustained its largest loss since the inception of the publication losing 3963 employees for a drop of 1.9%. Electrical Machinery (36) reported the greatest annual loss down 1783 employees. Layoffs in Electronic Components & Accessories and a couple of plant closings caused most of the damage in this sector. Non-Electrical Machinery (35) lost 1575 employees. The most significant change was the movement of about 1600 employees for accounting purposes to a worksite in Instruments (38). Rubber-Misc Plastics (30) had the third largest loss down 860. Approximately 330 were moved to other industries because of SIC changes. Layoffs and a number of closures accounted for the remainder of the sector losses. The largest annual employment gain occurred in Instruments (38) up 1006. Employment was fairly stable throughout the year until a large company instituted accounting changes covering about 1600 in January. Stone-Clay-Glass (32) added 706 employees. Increased demand for ready-mix concrete, concrete products, insulation materials and SIC changes from Rubber-Misc Plastics for about 130 generated the gain.
1998 SIC CHANGES

Manufacturing gained approximately 591 employees and $5,967,842 in quarterly payroll as a result of reclassification.

Colorado Employment and Wages (ES202) First Quarter 1999